Portia

Animalic – Skank. For Everyone Who Wants to be Bad

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

Hi there APJ Family & Friends,

I love trolling through the Surrender To Chance site. They have excellent Weekly Chance Specials, Vintage frags, Hard to find stuff and best of all, I can order a 2ml spray and get a true experience of a fragrance for a fraction of the price of a bottle, and it’s way easier to store 100 samples than 100 bottles too. Recently I was looking through and came across  this super set that read like EXACTLY the kind of set that I should possess, natch. So I went all out and ordered the 2ml Spray Set. It’s pricey but SOOO worth it.

Animalic – Skank. For Everyone Who Wants to be Bad- 11 Samples

Animalic - Skank Sample setAnimalic – Skank Sample Set

  1. Guerlain Jicky EDP – All skank covered in decency and fresh lavender.
  2. Jean Despres Bal a Versailles Parfum – The queen of skanks, there is NOTHING nice about this, and that’s a good thing.
  3. Miller Harris L’air de Rien – Scary Skank! Like scary spice, but a lot more fun.
  4. Montale Oud Cuir d’Arabie – Arabian skank with a lot of oud just for good measure.
  5. Narciso Rodriguez Musc for Her EDP Intense
  6. Nasomatto Narcotic Venus – Not as outwardly skanky, but deliciously, understated skank.
  7. Penhaligon Amaranthine – We used to refer to it as “amaranthigh” it is such a dirty, dirty girl.
  8. Rochas Femme – Made during The Depression, when women were hanging on to their sensuality by their fingernails, it is skanky perfection.
  9. Serge Lutens Musc Koublai Khan – Animalic musky skank.
  10. The Party in Manhattan – Completely dressed up skank, with a beautiful Dior ballgown.
  11. Worth Courtesan – Tropical skank, amazingly so!

From Surrender To Chance: Perfume should always play with naughty.  What is naughty? It’s referred to as “skank.”  First coined by March at Perfume Posse in January 2006, she refers to it as “Skank is not gracious, or nice, or even fundamentally pretty. The Skank is about sex, and only sex. It’s a rump-grinding, head-shaking invitation to a booty call, no matter how politely the scent’s been dressed up at the opening.”
This is the sex in perfume, and it’s been there even back in the days when the hems of dresses never got above the eyelet lace-ups of their Victorian boots.

So I have been having a wonderful time trying them all.I think my skin eats, or I have become immune, to the extremes of animalics. I love them and they smell great on my skin but where most people are coughing, tears streaming and running to the shower, I merely smell like a big cuddly teddy bear all warm and squishy. I have written about a few of these already, mostly quite early in the blog’s life, but it has been super fun revisiting and reminding myself how good they are, and to have even a sample size back in the collection. There are a few too that are FB in my collection already: MKK, Femme and Bal a Versailles. I also have a vintage Jicky Parfum so it’s great to meet it’s modern EdP sister.

My girl friend Natalie from Another Perfume Blog took one whiff of Courtesan by Worth and I knew she had to have it. You know the look, eyes glazed over, head thrown slightly back and nostrils flaring? There was that and more: positively fabulous viewing and at an outdoor lunch table in one of Sydney’s ritzier suburbs. I had to laugh, and give her the vial.

Surrender To Chance has the lot starting at $33/.5ml but I went all out and grabbed the $116/2ml spray set

Why did I spend so much? Well, 2ml will last me 4-10 wears depending on longevity and projection strength. That’s months of delicious spritzing and a different one every day for 3 weeks, not that I desperately need more choice to be honest. I also like that they are already in a spritz atomiser so no messing around with decanting into a spray to get the manufacturers intent. I think the extra is worth it for me. You may only want or need the .5ml to taste the frags, excellent. $33 is a wonderful deal for amazing frags that are a must try on your frag journey.

Love & hugs,
Portia xx

 

1000 POSTS PARTY!!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Heya APJ!

Here we are. 1000 posts. Every one of you have contributed, be it reading, writing, commenting, liking or spreading the word. Thank you.
THANK YOU ALL.

1000 POSTS PARTY!!

1000-1

We are having a party but we all have to have our own party, united but separate. Please grab a beverage and join us in a toast.

“1000 done and thousands more to come, Thank You Everyone”

1000

Take a minute and type in your favourite fragrance house into the SEARCH function at the side of the page. Hopefully there will be something about your faves that you can read and reminisce about, if not please leave us a comment about what you don’t see. We will try and remedy the lack in the next 1000 posts

1000p

Little did I know 1000 posts ago when I bit the bullet and wrote my first piece that it would or could ever become so enormous. We have contributors on four continents, offer a safe and fun place where you can kick back and hang out or jump in get your fix and continue your life. We try to keep it light, informative and fun and all of us at APJ love that you are our cyber fragrance family.
There are majorly exciting giveaways and promotions in our near future, can’t wait to tell you about them as they come to fruition.

1000post

So, today in honour of our 1000th post please spritz or swipe something special.
Leave us a comment below to tell us what your special scent is.
I will be wearing Rosa Sur Reuse by SOIVOHLE in Korea

Beyond all of that I seriously love you all. This passion of ours has spawned a community. My gratitude is boundless.
If ever life feels shit please drop in, WE LOVE YOU.

The APJ Crew, especially Portia xxxx

PS. There will be a super 1000 posts GIVEAWAY when I get back from Korea, promise

All photos stolen.
If I’ve used your image and you are unhappy about it
please leave a note and I’ll remove it.

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Hoya Perfumistas!

Tonight while wandering around Facebook Fragrance Friends one of the people there, Julie, was talking about her first Songes by Annick Goutal experience. Being Autumn here in Sydney Songes was in the cupboard but I thought I’d grab it out and give myself a spritz, pretend it is a cool spring evening instead. WOW! It’s funny how you forget the magic held in a scent. I was instantly transported back to my very first spritzes of Songes and how amazing and beautiful I thought it was, and it is. Here is a repost of an earlier Songes piece just to remember it.

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

Songes Annick Goutal FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Frangipani, tiare, jasmine sambac absolute, ylang-ylang, French vanilla

Here I sit in my office in a cloud of creamy vanilla white flowers. AH MAY ZING!!

Songes EdT was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipanis nighttime scent song of dreams.

The Annick Goutal website says: The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers

Songes Annick Goutal Phetchaburi Province, Thailand WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Did you know Songes means dreams? I think it is an interesting choice of a name for a fragrance built around the scent of frangipani at dusk. It opens so full and spectacularly, not dreamy at all. White flowers pumping out their glorious, decadent fragrance. White night flowers have something so special and glorious that whenever I put this voluptuous fragrance on I almost swoon with delight. A bold fragrance, with solid strength and sillage, unlike most AG perfumes Songes has good lasting power too at around 4 hours. Along with the flowers I get lovely inedible vanilla, almost amber-ish, and a soft incense note that I’ve never noticed before but this morning I was burning incense and here it is repeated. There is a very human element that comes and goes, like clean mouth breath bordering on lived in. The whole time I’ve been wearing this my mind keeps saying, “Oh, this is lovely, why don’t I wear this more often?” I will put it out on the desk again and give Songes more love, I have not worn it nearly as much as it deserves.

Songes Annick Goutal C P Wyatt "Ocean Of Dreams" Plum Leaves FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Further reading: The Perfume Shrine and NowSmellThis
FragranceShop has Songes EdT $57/100ml
Surrender To Chance has the EdT samples starting at $3/ml

I have enjoyed bringing you Songes again, do you have a favourite Annick Goutal fragrance? Which one and why?
Portia xx

M. Micallef: ART COLLECTION 2014 PUZZLE COLLECTION

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey Y’All,

This just dropped into my inbox. I though you might like to know first.

Portia xx

M. Micallef: 2014 PUZZLE COLLECTION

A game of love..

 puzzle_en
No, you can’t down load it from here but this is what it said.

Grasse, France, June, 2014 – Parfums M.Micallef, renowned for their authentic Fragrances made in the French tradition of crafts and luxury. They’re launching the new ART COLLECTION with a duo of gourmand and sensual fragrances: PUZZLE N°1 & PUZZLE N°2.

The M. Micallef Company gives priority to qualitative and natural ingredients in its fragrances and magnifies each bottle in its art atelier. For 2014, Martine Micallef wished to honor the game of life and love…

“A jigsaw puzzle is a game of patience and enigma like the love between two beings building their life together. And now for you to seize the missing piece to your happiness ! »
Citation from Martine Micallef.

PUZZLE N°1

Head Note : Peach, Pink Berries.
Heart Note : Jasmine, Osmanthus, Vanilla Flowers
Base Note : Tonka Beans, Benjoin, Gaïac.

Puzzle N°1 is the most tender of the collection. It will make you discover soft and delicate notes of peach aswell as a pure bouquet of white jasmine flowers and osmanthus. Then, it will charm you by taking you towards a savoury bed of tonka beans and Javanese encens also know as Benjoin.

PUZZLE N°2

Head Note : Grapefruit, Blackcurrant leaves
Heart Note : Blackcurrant, Jasmine, Vanilla Flowers.
Base Note : Patchouly, White Musk, Vetyver.

Puzzle N°2 is the most carnal of the collection. It will seduce you first of all by its slightly acid notes of citrus fruits and then a delectable note of sensual and intoxicating blackcurrant. That union is enhanced by powerful and addictive notes of patchouli and white musk.

Fragrance Masterclass with Michael Edwards July/August 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hi there Frag Buddies,

Here is one of the most exciting things I’ve had to tell you about, EVER! Michael Edwards will be hosting Fragrance Masterclasses in Melbourne & Sydney later in 2014. I’m so excited I’m fit to burst. The man inducted into the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame in 2009 for “the impact Edwards’ work has had across the whole fragrance industry”, Australian and Internationally. His book Fragrances of the World is in it’s 30th year of publication, from “what started as a small guide for retailers with just 323 fragrances has become the industry’s fragrance ‘bible’”.

Fragrance Masterclass with Michael Edwards July/August 2014

Everyone who meets Michael Edwards tells me that he is a very friendly gentleman, so happy to share his knowledge, his passion and extend the hand of friendship. I can’t wait to meet him at the Sydney Masterclass. To get one of the very exclusive seats at this once in a lifetime event Michael Edwards Masterclass<<JUMP

michael-edwardsMichael Edwards

Melbourne 22 July 9am – 5pm

Sydney 21 August 9am – 5pm

Price : AUD $645.00   Inc. GST (Single registration)
(2 or more registrations AUD $595.00  Inc. GST)
Registration fee includes:
  • Light refreshments and working lunch
  • Certificate upon completion

Attend the workshop and you will have the opportunity to buy Michael’s Fragrances of the World 2014 guidebook valued at $195 at HALF PRICE – only $97.50. Provided at the workshop.

Hopefully we’ll see some of you there, I think there will be a crew of APJ writers and readers. It will be a wonderful way to learn more about our passion, and you’ll make some buddies too hopefully.
Portia xx

 

 

Chenonceau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hey there APJ Crew,

I have been so excited about this fragrance and couldn’t wait to get some to you all to try. I hope the winners love their prizes. If you are sad you didn’t win and want to try the products then jump>> King’s Palace Perfumery has an ETSY store and a 5ml Rollerball is only $22

Chenonceau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, cacao pod, tonka bean, iris, musk, amber

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 1ml sample of Chenonceau oil by King`s Palace Perfumery
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me a memory that involves a palace garden, a perfume that makes you think of history or a fragrant oil that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Chenonceau by King`s Palace Perfumery GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Mn #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 11th May 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

WINNERS dryiconsPhoto Stolen dryicons

AnnaMaria

Ines Stefanovic (via Twitter)

Roslyn

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Thursday 15th May 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Shit Fragrance Heads Say: Fragrance Bros. Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Heya APJ,

I love the Fragrance Bros. they do loads of fun videos, great reviews, they host splits and have built up a really wonderful community around them. Here from Daver we hear a bunch of stuff that frag heads say, if you didn’t think we had a vocabulary to ourselves then this video should dispel your misconceptions.

Fragrance Bros LogoFragrance Bros.photo

Also, if you understand more than 30% of the conversation then you are already firmly entrenched in perfumista-hood. Welcome to the clan. We are weird but we smell great.

Enjoy the video,

Portia xx

Metamorphosis, an Hermès story: Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

G’Day Gang,

I love how the big companies put out these fun films. Yes, their products are amazing, and yes I covet so many of them. See below pictured Ostrich Birkin. What I really love about these fils is that there are a wealth of creatives and artists making them. So much wonderful scope for the making of magic. That’s one of the reasons I search so many of these video-ettes out for you all, so they continue to have a need for artists to make magic. Oh, and because they are also fun stress relief.

Enjoy.

Portia xx

Hermes_Ostrich_Birkin_Bag WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Metamorphosis, an Hermès story

Luci ed Ombre by Giuseppe Imprezzabile for Masque 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Shhh! Niche Nerds?

Something NEW? Something FABULOUS? I don’t know either. It just arrived and I want to test run it with you. Let’s do it together. Yes, I know, you need three or four wears to get a feel for a fragrance, sometimes your chemistry or the temperature is wrong, i know. Come on, let’s do it anyway and see how it is. It will be fun, even if it’s absolute shite, doesn’t matter…

Luci ed Ombre by Giuseppe Imprezzabile for Masque 2013

Luci ed Ombre Masque FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Incense
Heart: Moss, Tuberose, jasmine, ginger
Base: Patchouli, cedar, olibanum

The opening incense is warmer and sweeter than expected, a very spicy resinous and honeyed incense that matches none in my collection. So pretty and exactly a smell I could imagine myself wearing regularly. I just went and checked. Luci ed Ombre reminds me most of a Korean incense I have but it lacks the bitter undertones. My skin often skews fragrances a bit sweeter and I am glad in this instance because Luci ed Ombre is magic on my skin. I also get some sweet fruit in the mix like a canned peach or nearly over ripe, sun warmed mango straight off an Aam Wallah’s cart in India. The tuberose and jasmine are clean until you hit the full on heart and then we smell some breath, not a lot but enough to warrant mention, and the ginger playing back up after its zing in the opening is still a very pretty counterpoint to what is largely a resinous fragrance with what may be the moss acting as a mediator. Patchouli? I’m not really getting patchouli, this could very easily be me as we al know my sniffer is regularly off point, but I did do a comparison with my patchouli essential oil and there is no resemblance for me in Luci ed Ombre. Maybe it’s a super clean version aromachemical and I can’t get it.

 Luci ed Ombre Masque Mango Wallah Kiran Jonnalagadda FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Do you ever think something is absolutely heart stoppingly gorgeous but worry that it might be a little generic? This is my worry here. A couple of times while Michael & I were overseas I would pass him something that I was swooning over and he was totally meh, that’s just this aromachemical or that boring overused note and though I am quite good at trusting my own judgement sometimes when the magic is taken away, the sparkly washed matte, it can not be replaced or reignited. One of the things stopping me becoming a serious perfumista who knows all the notes and aromachemicals is how much understanding the process may dilute my total enjoyment of fragrance overall, that WOW Factor of a first inhale that is all about the joy. It would make me sad to lose that.

Luci ed Ombre Masque Tuberose Carolyn Jewel FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

So my vote here is GORGEOUS! A winner and as soon as I finish this decant a split or FB in my future, probably very near future.

Further reading: Now Smell This has the ad copy as an introduction to the range
First In Fragrance has €150/100ml + Samples
LuckyScent has $215/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Have you jumped in and tried any of the Masque fragrances yet. I see there are some reviews on other sites about different scents in the range. Do you think it will be the next big thing?
Portia xx

 

Chenonceau by Marlen Harrison for King`s Palace Perfumery 2014 + GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

Hi All you Fraggir Friends and Family,

Today we are having a look at one of my mates new ventures, and I knew he was bringing out a range but had no idea he was also the perfumer. WOW! Marlen sent me three fragrances to experience and today we will look at the first of them that I’ve tried.

Chenonceau by Marlen Harrison for King`s Palace Perfumery 2014

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, cacao pod, tonka bean, iris, musk, amber

Right, it comes in a lovely velvet pouch. A 5ml roller ball and is a fragrant oil. Recently I was at lunch with my friend Natalie from Another Perfume Blog and we decided to test it together and we both a had a few other beauties to test the same day. I didn’t let her know that I was testing Chenonceau for a mate or even that I had any interest other than intellectual and of course fragrantical. Well, I swiped a little bit across the back of my hand and we didn’t need to dive in and smell because it bloomed like no tomorrow there in the cafe. In fact, instantly the cafe smelled like a fabulously elegant bakery and people looked to see where Chenonceau’s amazing scent came from. Mixed in with the coffee, food and humanity Chenonceau carved right into the groove and took over.

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery postcard Roger Wollstadt FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

A dry, dusty vanilla that is a cake browned browned on top. I don’t know if you ever made Tea Cakes with your Mum but that is exactly the memory I get from Chenonceau. Jin says it smells like the warm cuddly inside of a house in freezing winter and I agree, there is a firey heat burning and drying out the air, coffee and cake or toast with lashings of butter and an old granny rug. It’s furry and human, a little bed head-ish and sweet like just out of a hot bath skin drying in front of the fire or heater.

How does so much wonderful image come from a swipe of fragrance? There are the bee’s waxy resins that I use on the table to keep it water proof and healthy, face powder, pine cones, fake snow that you spray on the windows, the warmth of a kiss and the exciting prelude before it, chesterfield sofa. My mind whirls with lovely images for a few minutes and then the fragrance calms and I smell much less intense, a warm soft place of comfort, a place to rest and read or just breathe. It’s fluffy and powdery goodness will delight you if it’s the kind of fragrance you like, which I do.

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery Chateau_de_Chenonceau WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

After the initial fireworks Chenonceau calms to a perfectly wearable scent that will last you 8hours or more and the price is so ridiculously affordable AND you are doing good too.

From King’s Palace Perfumery: Chenonceau, a gourmand, unisex blend of vanilla, chocolate, and ambery musks inspired by the infamous castle on the water in France’s Loire Valley. Chenonceau is a hand-blended, unisex fragrance oil (alcohol, phthalate & paraben free) made from both natural and manmade ingredients sourced from the USA, UAE, Reunion, France, Australia and India.
In keeping with King’s Palace Perfumery’s charitable mission, 10% of all Chenonceau purchases will be donated to The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, https://www.michaeljfox.org/.

Further reading: Now Smell This introduces the line
King’s Palace Perfumery has an ETSY store and a 5ml Rollerball is only $22

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummyPhoto Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Chenonceau GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 1ml sample of Chenonceau oil by King`s Palace Perfumery
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me a memory that involves a palace garden, a perfume that makes you think of history or a fragrant oil that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Chenonceau by King`s Palace Perfumery GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Mn #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 11th May 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 15th May 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Portia xx